The true Experience of God? (myth, Revelation, bible, quote)
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Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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What is it, in your opinion, to truly experience God?
Most believers and non-believers (though they don't know it) experience God in their own way.
The first way, is reading about Yahweh, Allah or God as a character in a piece of holy literature. On a purely literary level we experience him as we would either a historical character or as a character of fiction. Many people impute something spiritual to merely reading these words because they believe they are divinely inspired.
The second way, is through superimposing their idea of God onto their own lives and the circumstances. What they perceive as an answered prayer re-confirms the reality of the Lord and their relationship through him through faith. If things are going good, God has blessed them, if things aren't, then God is somehow unfavourable. We assume that natural events are somehow controlled by a Supreme Being, even if they may appear to happen naturally.
The third way is through prayer and meditation - whether there is any 'substance' is a matter of contention. The fact that it's such a personal experience, means it's hard to prove one way or the other. In this sense, we channel our sense of God through heightened emotional or sensory experiences.
The fourth way is experience God through Reality: the physical Universe, living beings and the people whom we love, hate and all the emotions in between. The Abrahamic tradition puts God outside of Creation, so we know him mainly through his Revelation, while Eastern religions experience God more through what we know and can perceive.
I think, however, deep within us there is an awareness and a consciousness of God at least on some level. I believe the Universe has a purpose and was created, yet there is sometimes a disconnect between the God of religion, of the Bible, of Scripture, the God of Moses, Jesus etc, and the more subjective personal experience through prayer/communion.
One God is what others tell us about Him: the other is what we project as God. It's very possible one may seem very convincing and the other not so much. I think modern Christianity is tending to ignore the Biblical God in favour of a God in their own image. God is unconditionally loving, and he would never hurt anybody. Or else God is an instrument for their own vengeful feelings towards others. Where do the two join? What constitutes an 'authentic' understanding and relationship with God that ties together both?
I don't believe anyone experiences god. To ascribe the experiences one has as coming from god, I think is not correct. At the very minimum, no one can know that those experiences are god or from god.
Most believers and non-believers (though they don't know it) experience God in their own way.
I find that incredibly condescending. I would know it if I experienced 'God', and no, I don't believe there was a creator god whose 'Reality' I experience. Reality doesn't need a postulated creator god.
I find that incredibly condescending. I would know it if I experienced 'God', and no, I don't believe there was a creator god whose 'Reality' I experience. Reality doesn't need a postulated creator god.
:: most believers (though they don't accept it) and non-believers don't experience gods at all.
The first way, is through reading about trickster demons through idol scripture. Some people read it with the premise that it's not just a myth, other with the premise that the idol scripture simply agrees with them no matter what... ::
Anyway, I'll just skip to your questioin:
Quote:
What constitutes an 'authentic' understanding and relationship with God...?
"authentic" understanding is only gained through acceptance of the self. which basically means you have to get rid of your ego and accept that you are "Ungnostic". To have a true relationship with God you simply have to live your life. After all, playing hard to get is the best way to seem valuable. More importantly, to be truely authentic you have to stop lying to yourself, and to have a true relationship with God you have to stop thinking only by yourself.
I could call it the End.
However, a source is something physical and corporeal that science can understand. God is as much a "source" as It is a pitcher of water.
I could call it the End.
However, a source is something physical and corporeal that science can understand. God is as much a "source" as It is a pitcher of water.
Everyone has such certainty about the attributes of God that have not been and are probably not able to be established by science. Yet they do not accept the ones we have established as God. Why is that?
Everyone has such certainty about the attributes of God that have not been and are probably not able to be established by science. Yet they do not accept the ones we have established as God. Why is that?
What do you mean? the purely imcorporial phenominal aspect? the omnipotence? the omnibenevolence? the omniscience? the omniintelligence? the infinity?
Which ones have we established as God?
perhaps after you answer that question I will know how to respond to you.
Everyone has such certainty about the attributes of God that have not been and are probably not able to be established by science. Yet they do not accept the ones we have established as God. Why is that?
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,173,724 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by catman
I find that incredibly condescending. I would know it if I experienced 'God', and no, I don't believe there was a creator god whose 'Reality' I experience. Reality doesn't need a postulated creator god.
I shouldn't have put that, I was going on one tangent but then I went on another making that statement sort of nonsensical.
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